Maloofs share ‘Lohan’ spotlight

Brothers use E! series as promotional vehicle

The reality skein, which bows May 26 on E!, revolves around Ali Lohan’s pursuit of a singing career, and how her mother, Dina, manages that burgeoning career. But the series will also serve as a promotional vehicle for the Maloof brothers’ various holdings, such as the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and the Sacramento Kings basketball team.

In the skein’s eight episodes, 14-year-old Ali, the sister of Lindsay Lohan, will be shown staying at the Palms and using its various facilities while producing her upcoming album. Her brother Cody will work as a ball boy for the Kings.

The placement is no surprise: The Maloofs’ film, TV and music arm, Maloof Prods., produces the series, its second after last year’s reality outing “Bullrun” on Spike TV.

Show is a co-production with Bunim-Murray, which had already partnered with the Maloofs on “The Real World: Las Vegas” when the cast of the long-running reality series was housed at the Palms.

Yet despite that exposure, “There was so much of the Palms that hadn’t been shown on camera before,” said Andrew Jameson, president of Maloof Prods. “We had all these great venues we could play with. This show gave us an opportunity to organically plug everything in there.”

That includes the Pearl theater and the $8.5 million recording studio in the hotel’s second tower. Three episodes will showcase that studio.

“So many music people come to Vegas,” said Phil Maloof, chairman-CEO of Maloof Prods., “but there wasn’t a state-of-the-art facility people could use while they’re here.” Since it opened, the studio has hosted Celine Dion, Elton John and the Killers.

The Maloofs are hoping “Living Lohan” will help put a spotlight on their resort, as well as the artists on their little-known record label, a joint venture with Interscope that will eventually distrib Ali Lohan’s album. New label’s also signed the harder-edged Rev Theory, whose first album bows in June.

In return, E! gets extra marketing muscle to launch the show. In addition to showcasing “Living Lohan” on a giant Jumbotron outside the resort, the Palms will also air 30-second TV spots in its rooms and display posters throughout the casino, while more digital screens will promote the show at games of the Sacramento Kings and the city’s WNBA team, the Monarchs. Negotiations are under way to have Ali Lohan sing the national anthem at a Monarchs game, or at least to have her songs played during games, giving her additional exposure.

“We’re a production company, we’re a venue, and we help with the marketing,” Jameson said. “What we’re trying to do as a company is bring all these different facets to the table.”